The Gironda Definition Book.

The Gironda Definition Book

Here is one of the books from Vince Gironda that I found on the Internet. I don't know if it is right or wrong to share books but I am sure that Vince is looking from the big gym in the sky above and appreciating that we are still perpetuating his teachings and philosophies. As most of you probably know, at Bodybuilding Mauritius we honour the valuable contribution that Vince has made to bodybuilding. Make sure that you check the other articles that I wrote in the "Iron Guru Series" and articles on training that borrow from the Iron Guru's training philosophies. If you are looking for other bulking courses make sure you also check John Bubb's Bulking Programs. Here are the links:

The Iron Guru Series: Gironda Shoulder Training. By Vic Goyaram

Compendium of Old School Exercises: Shoulders. By Vic Goyaram

Powerlifting Training for Bodybuilders. By John Bubb

The Pyramid Training Program. By John Bubb

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Motivational Quotes from the Predator Mr. Kai Greene

Motivational Quotes from the Predator

Mr. Kai Greene

A definition of Success

Success is not based on genetics. It’s not based on how nice his car is. It’s not based on how pretty my face is. How small my nose needs to look, whether or not I’m the right complexion. I have an eight inch scar down the side of my face but I have a camera in front of me more often than not. Which just means that if you work hard and that your work is recognized, then the sky is the limit. So to all the people out there who think they are ugly and everything I’m holding it down for you. But more importantly you can still be a success. For all the people who think “Well, I’m too short”, I’m still holding it down for you, you can still be a success. Find the things that you are excited about and that you can give your all in and work really hard towards attaining it. 

Quote from the Kai Greene Video. Kai Greene: A day in the life. By Mike Pulcinella

Some pictures of Kai Greene at the 2004 NPC Team Universe where he won his pro card. Photos courtesy of Ironman Magazine

Now he rivals the best (2012 Mr. Olympia)

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L-Carnitine: an analysis of its fat burning and performance enhancing effects. By Vic Goyaram

AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENT ARTICLE SERIES

Carnitine: an analysis of its fat burning and performance enhancing effects

Researched and composed by Vic Goyaram
Exclusive for Bodybuilding Mauritius

Welcome back to the article series on amino acids. In the first instalment we provided an overview of the basic science of amino acids. If you haven't read it, we strongly suggest that you do. In this article we will discuss a popular amino acid supplement: L-Carnitine. Carnitine supplements have been around for a long time. From personal observation, it was very popular in the 90s as a fat burning supplement before the widespread use of Ephedra based fat burner supplements. Carnitine, especially in its common supplemental form L-Carnitine, enjoyed massive popularity at that time. Carnitine is marketed mainly for its alleged fat burning benefits although it is sometimes pushed for other benefits, e.g. performance, the evidence for which will be reviewed in this article.

An L-Carnitine supplement from the 90s

Sources of L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine can be made by the body from the amino acids Lysine and Methionine. It is made by the liver and kidneys. Under certain conditions, it becomes necessary to obtain L-Carnitine from the diet. Good sources include beef steak, ground beef, chicken, pork and pork products. L-Carnitine is stored in muscles and it is estimated that about 75% of L-Carnitine in the body comes from the diet.

Carnitine supplements and formulations

L-Carnitine is the most basic form of supplemental carnitine used in most carnitine supplements. You may sometimes (although rarely) see Carnitine labelled as “D-Carnitine” which is not good in quality as it may produce effects that are opposite to that of L-carnitine. The “D and L” designations are due to structural differences. Newer forms of supplemental forms of carnitine have also made it to the shelves. Some of these newer forms are listed below:

• Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR): consists of a carnitine molecule bound to a molecule of Acetyl-Coenzyme A. It is one of the two forms of Carnitine existing in the body, notably in nervous tissues. Supplemental ALCAR may help in reducing fatigue.

• Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine (GPLC): is a new form of Carnitine consisting of the amino acid glycine and a short chain fatty acid. GPLC looks quite promising at it has been shown to increase the production of the vasodilator Nitric oxide in several populations, including athletes. Health-wise, GPLC may play a role in blood flow and its regulation. An advantage of GPLC over L-Carnitine is that, unlike the latter, it does not require carbs and insulin for uptake.  A 2007 study (Bloomer et al, 2008) found increases in NO levels. The research was funded by Sigma-Tau which manufactures GPLC under the trademark Glycocarn.

  

  Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine (GPLC) marketed under the trademark GlycoCarn.

• Carnitine-L-Tartrate: a carnitine molecule bound to a molecule of Tartaric acid. This form of carnitine probably has a faster absorption rate but is not superior in terms of overall bioavailability.

Assessing L-Carnitine as a fat burner

L-Carnitine is essential for burning fat

The idea that L-Carnitine supplements can help burn fat comes from the discovery that L-Carnitine is very important for the transport of fats for burning inside cells. Cells contain structures called mitochondria which are the 'powerhouses' of the cells, meaning they are the sites where energy is produced. Fats are burned in the mitochondria by the process called Beta-Oxidation. However, for the fats to reach there they must pass through special transporters found on the surface of the mitochondria. An important transporter is called the Carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT-I). CPT-I is so important that the rate of fat oxidation depends on its activity. Carnitine works by binding fatty acids and then shuttling them through CPT-I.

Mitochondria are structures inside cells where energy is produced.

L-Carnitine is essential for transporting fats into these structures for burning

Taking extra L-Carnitine supplements may help under some circumstances

Does taking extra L-Carnitine mean greater fat burning?

There are some reports that taking L-Carnitine supplements can increase the activity of the CPT-1 transporter and thus increase the process of fat beta-oxidation.  Conversely, other studies have shown that L-Carnitine supplementation does not positively influence fat oxidation unless the subject was previously deficient in L-Carnitine, in which case supplementation brought a rescue effect. One may be deficient in L-Carnitine as a result of age, poor utilisation, low intake of meat and vegetarianism or veganism. In these cases, L-Carnitine supplementation seem to help. Anecdotally, L-Carnitine users that I have known personally report good results in terms of weight loss but it must be noted that they were also on thermogenic fat burner supplements. However, they do note an increase in exercise performance and a reduction of muscle soreness following intense workouts compared to when they were not taking L-Carnitine. This point will be discussed in the coming section.

The take-home lesson with regard to L-Carnitine and fat loss

Well, L-Carnitine will help you burn fat if you are deficient in the amino acid. It does not mean that taking more L-Carnitine will help you burn more fat. Burning fat depends largely on your diet and exercise program. It does not mean that taking L-Carnitine in the absence of these two important elements will make you lose fat. Serious bodybuilders already understand this important point. The same applies to other types of fat burners.

L-Carnitine as an exercise performance enhancer

Based on the finding that L-Carnitine is important for fat breakdown for energy, scientists performed experiments on endurance sports persons (who use fat preferably as fuel) to see whether Carnitine can improve their performance by using more fat for energy. The findings from these studies were not consistent as some studies showed a positive effect while others showed no effect. Well, what can I tell you? If you are an endurance sports person and if you think that taking L-Carnitine gives you a solid boost (in spite of what research says) then go for it.

L-Carnitine improves blood flow and muscle soreness

Scientific research on L-Carnitine shifted from fat burning effect and performance enhancement to a different avenue: the improvement of muscle soreness induced by exercise. As you know, when you train harder or do unaccustomed exercise, muscle pain or soreness sometimes occurs a day or two later. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and this is what makes you want a wheelchair the day or two following a hardcore squat session. The good news is that L-Carnitine can protect muscle from exercise-induced damage. L-Carnitine does so by improving blood flow (through vasodilation) to working muscles for better oxygenation and waste removal. Muscle cell oxygenation is very important during exercise because lack of oxygen (hypoxia)  can lead to muscle damage. In one research study (Giamberardino et al., 1996), 3-g of L-carnitine was given to research participants who were doing muscle damaging exercise that produce DOMS. The subjects reported less soreness when they were taking L-Carnitine. This indicates that L-carnitine can protect against pain and exercise-induced muscle damage and may therefore be a recovery aid.

 3g of L-Carnitine has been found to reduce muscle soreness

Dosage and safety issues with L-Carnitine

Research that found positive effects of L-Carnitine used dosages from 2-3 g (2000-3000mg) per day. Do not let anyone sell you products that contain 200-300mg L-Carnitine and tell you that you will experience positive effects while citing these papers. This is an old trick now. Dosage is very important.  Furthermore, the safety of these recommended intakes of L-Carnitine has been evaluated. No negative effects were seen on most safety parameters (e.g liver and kidney function etc). There have also been recent concerns about L-Carnitine as a possible causative agent of heart problems. L-Carnitine coming from meat is purported to be broken down by gut bacteria to a compound called TMAO which causes atherosclerosis (narrowing of blood vessels). However, current evidence shows that L-Carnitine is more protective to the heart than destructive (Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2013) and that the Carnitine-TMAO-Atherosclerosis link is too early to tell and has been been inflated by media.

In the light of current evidence, I give L-Carnitine a decent 3 out of 5 star rating. If I had money I'd buy L-Carnitine for sure.

References:

Bloomer RJ, Tschume LC and Smith WA. Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine modulates lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide in human subjects. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 79: 131-141, 2009.

Giamberardino MA, Dragani L, Valente R, Di LF, Saggini R and Vecchiet L. Effects of prolonged L-carnitine administration on delayed muscle pain and CK release after eccentric effort. Int J Sports Med 17: 320-324, 1996.

Huang A and Owen K, Role of supplemental L-Carnitine in exercise and exercise recovery. Lamprecht M (ed): Acute topics in sports nutrition. Med Sport Sci. Basel, Karger, 2013, vol 59, pp 135-142

L-Carnitine in the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” by James J. DiNicolantonio, PharmD; Carl J. Lavie, MD; Hassan Fares, MD; Arthur R. Menezes, MD; and James H. O’Keefe, MD, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 88, Issue 6 (June 2013), DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.02.007, published by Elsevier.

My Bio: I am a Mauritian originally from Roche Bois, Port Louis and now based in Cape Town, South Africa where I am busy with my postgraduate studies in molecular biology of exercise. My research, supervised by Prof. Edward Ojuka, looks at the influence of nutrition and exercise in gene expression in muscle, research which is relevant and applicable to exercising individuals, sports persons and diabetic individuals. The knowledge that I share with you stems from my 18 years of experience in bodybuilding and 8 years (and counting) of university education in the field. I have also published work in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism (2013), International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (2013) and co-authored two book chapters on exercise and diabetes. I also presented my research work at the 2012 International Sports and Exercise Nutrition Conference (UK). I am grateful to each and everyone at the UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. "Knowledge without sharing is worth nothing"

------------------------------------------
Join us for discussions on our facebook group
Free advice & daily bodybuilding talk
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BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS

_________________________________________________________________________

©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer: The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

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What's the deal with raw eggs? By Vic Goyaram

What's the deal with raw eggs?

Researched and composed by Vic Goyaram

Exclusive for Bodybuilding Mauritius & South Africa

Summary:

• Cooking neither destroys nor reduces the protein in an egg, unless you forget the egg on the stove and burn it. Raw eggs do not contain any extra growth factor or some mysterious anabolic compound that cooking inactivates.

• Cooking destroys Avidin and Salmonella two of the bad guys in raw eggs.

• If you like to drink liquid egg, buy pasteurised liquid eggs.

• Adding 2-3 raw eggs to your shakes is quite unlikely to give you Biotin deficiency or Salmonella poisoning, unless the egg is heavily infected.

The practice of consuming raw eggs to build muscle began in the late 1890s by fitness and nutrition guru Bernarr Mcfadden but undeniably it is Rocky Balboa who made it popular. There is a lot of myths and misconceptions regarding the consumption of raw eggs that still persist to this day. This article attempts to address these points.

Fig. 1: Stallone in Rocky made drinking raw eggs popular

Is drinking raw eggs hardcore?

It is good to have a hardcore approach. But I believe that having a hardcore approach does not mean you must not enjoy the things you eat. It does not mean that you must select a chalk-flavoured whey protein if you have the option of a vanilla flavour. It does not mean that you must add tuna to a protein shake when you can in fact eat the tuna first and then wash it down with a protein shake. A hardcore approach must rather be reflected, for instance, in the gym by the squat rack and how you deal with challenging life situations. Likewise for eggs, there are alternative ways that you can enjoy them rather than drinking them raw. If there were real nutritional benefits of consuming raw eggs (v/s cooked) the latter practice would have been understandable but as we will see in this article, there isn't any real benefit of consuming raw eggs. Rather, there are more potential drawbacks than any real benefit.

One of the right definitions of hardcore

Consuming raw eggs is more convenient: true!

I agree that drinking raw eggs is more convenient to get your egg protein because it takes less space in your stomach. It is easier to gulp down 6 whole eggs than to cook and eat them as cooking the egg increases the volume. Some people really struggle with appetite and drinking the eggs may be a convenient option for them to obtain their egg protein. However, there may be considerations before cracking up eggs and drinking them like Salmonella and inhibitor of the vitamin Biotin (Avidin), both of which will be discussed in the coming sections. If you struggle to eat cooked eggs and would prefer raw eggs without its potential dangers then pasteurised liquid eggs (whole or whites only) is a convenient solution. I am not sure whether it is sold in Mauritius but where I am in South Africa these are sold. The only major downside is the cost, however.

Fig. 2: Pasteurised eggs have undergone pasteurisation which is
a process that kills bacteria in the eggs, thus reducing the
possibility of infections if consumed raw

Cooking denatures but does not destroy the egg protein

A very common reason which is given to justify the consumption of raw eggs is that cooking denatures the egg protein. Yes, this is true. Cooking does denature the albumen protein which makes up the egg protein. But the important question is: does denaturation affect the protein nutrition of the egg? The answer is NO.

Denaturation refers to a change in structure of the protein. You may remember from our lessons on amino acids (Click here to read) that proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. These chains (Figure 3) are folded in a certain way and this folding is maintained by means of chemical bonds (A). When heat is applied, these bonds are broken and that's what denaturation is all about (B). As heat is applied for longer there are new bonds that form (C). These new bonds  cooked eggs the opaque solid mass appearance that we all know. As you can see in the diagram, only bonds are broken and reformed as a result of cooking. The chains of amino acids are still fine. Your body can break them down through digestion to release the amino acids. and it is the amino acids that we are most interested in. Therefore, heating denatures the protein in eggs, yes, but in no way does the denaturation reduce its protein nutrition. Raw eggs having more protein and better protein than cooked eggs is a MYTH.

Fig. 3: The process of protein denaturation by heating. 

Cooking in fact improves the digestibility of egg protein because the changes in the protein molecule induced by heating enable digestive enzymes to gain better access to the peptide bonds that hold the amino acids together. Conversely, raw eggs have been found to be less digestible because of the presence of trypsin (digestive enzyme) inhibitors in the eggs. In one study, it was shown that after ingestion of 25 g of raw egg protein, almost 50% is malabsorbed over 24 h.

Raw eggs and the risk of biotin deficiency 

Biotin is an important vitamin of the B-group. It is sometimes called Vitamin B7 or Vitamin H. It serves several functions like cell growth, fatty acid synthesis, fat and amino acid metabolism and the maintenance of blood sugar levels. Biotin is also such as meats, saltwater fish, cooked egg yolks, milk, poultry, legumes, whole grains and brewer’s yeast. The issue with eggs and biotin that is often raised is that consuming raw egg whites may set the stage to biotin deficiency. This is because the egg white contains a protein called Avidin. This protein, in its active form in raw eggs, binds to biotin and thus makes it unabsorbable by the body. Cooking deactivates the Avidin. If you decide to consume raw eggs make sure you consume the whole egg because the yolk contains a lot of biotin. Consuming pasteurised egg whites is not a problem as pasteurisation neutralises the Avidin protein. The bodybuilding diet is quite varied and includes good sources of biotin as well as multivitamin/ mineral supplements so personally I don't think biotin deficiency is a problem.

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vicgoyaram@gmail.com 

Raw eggs and the risk of salmonella poisoning

The risk of salmonella poisoning is a very common reason given against the consumption of raw eggs. Salmonella (scientific name: Salmonella enterica, serovar Enteritidis) is a bacterium which can infect chicken and then get into the egg as it is formed. Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. In most cases, the illness lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. In some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that dehydration happens and hospitalisation is necessary.

These little beasts are Salmonella bacteria

Cooking the egg destroys the salmonella. Pasteurised eggs are also devoid of salmonella. The issue here is that for the consumer to be infected and subsequently develop symptoms, there must be what we call and "oral infective dose". This means that the bacteria must be present in sufficient amounts in order to progress to infection, otherwise they are easily destroyed by the body's first line of defence (e.g stomach acids). This means that if you are eating 1-2 whole eggs you are very unlikely to get infected by salmonella. It all depends on how much you are consuming and also where you are getting your eggs from as the type of farming practice also has an impact on salmonella infection of eggs. The industrialisation of egg production has made it more favourable for the spread of Salmonella than traditional methods.

The basics of Salmonella infection and treatment

Join us for discussions on our facebook group
Free advice & daily bodybuilding talk
Your #1 Bodybuilding destination in Mauritius 

BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS

My Bio: I am a Mauritian originally from Roche Bois, Port Louis and now based in Cape Town, South Africa where I am busy with my postgraduate studies in molecular biology of exercise. My research, supervised by Prof. Edward Ojuka, looks at the influence of nutrition and exercise in gene expression in muscle, research which is relevant and applicable to exercising individuals, sports persons and diabetic individuals. The knowledge that I share with you stems from my 18 years of experience in bodybuilding and 8 years (and counting) of university education in the field. I have also published work in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism (2013), International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (2013) and co-authored two book chapters on exercise and diabetes. I also presented my research work at the 2012 International Sports and Exercise Nutrition Conference (UK). I am grateful to each and everyone at the UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. "Knowledge without sharing is worth nothing"

------------------------------------------
Join us for discussions on our facebook group
Free advice & daily bodybuilding talk
Your #1 Bodybuilding destination in Mauritius 

BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS

_________________________________________________________________________

©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer: The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

_______________________________________________________________________________

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